Tuesday 28 August 2018

Into the Great Heart by Kamla K Kapur: a review

In the whirlwind of what life is all about these days, how many of us do have enough time in our lives to sit back and relax and find the time to read a good book on spiritualism? Let alone spiritualism, how many of us get the time to even wonder how the “God” we bow down to, became what they are? That's where Kamla K Kapur’s Into the great heart comes in the picture.



About the book- Legends and Adventures of Guru Angad the second Sikh Guru. From the bestselling author of Classic Tales from Mystic India, The Singing Guru and Rumi: Tales to Live By, comes the second book in the Sikh saga series about Bhai Lehna’s journey from being Guru Nanak’s constant disciple to becoming Guru Angad (1504 – 1552), his successor and the second Sikh Guru. Into the Great Heart carries forward and concludes the stories of Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana, his favourite minstrel, from the first volume of the Sikh saga, The Singing Guru. History, legend and fiction merge to populate this book with fascinating personalities from Sikh history. Pivotal to this narrative are forgotten female luminaries such as Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni, his sister, Bebe Nanaki, Bhai Lehna’s wife, Khivi and daughter Amro. Brought to the foreground, their wisdom and insights as they overcome obstacles to spiritual growth embody the basic tenets of Sikhism in everyday living. They enhance Guru Nanak and Bhai Lehna’s tale with their diverse approach to life. Filled with captivating characters that enrich the tapestry of this compelling narrative, Into the Great Heart is a must-read for anyone who loves a rich story about human nature in its search for spiritual awareness.

Taken from the author's first book in the Sikh Saga, this story continues Bhai Lehna’s journey from being what he was to being Guru Angad, the second Sikh Guru. What I loved about the book has to begin with the cover. For I, personally, have always been a constant lover of the religion and have always wanted to know more about it, the cover of the book gave me a sense of peace that the rusty covers these days don't usually give me.

One of the best parts of the book is the fact that even though it is a second installment of the book, it reads like a standalone novel which is not so much found in the other series as such. The narration that the author has used took me aback because such wonderful narration is often not found in other books. The story went on seamlessly and for a moment I couldn't take my eyes off the book because it had that blinding effect on me. Every single page has notes at the end of it explaining the terms and terminologies for the people who would not understand it.

There's nothing to talk about the characters, though because real life characters are a different tangent all together. I'm not too adept to decipher it is a real story of parts of it is fictional or not but even if I were, I know that I had gone deep into the story and I couldn't fathom when did I start being one with the story. So, that deserves a standing ovation from me. For the cons, the story was a bit lengthy for me and that's all I can say. This one book deserves 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

No comments:

Post a Comment